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S. 81 K. KRNKA. MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.

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'S.-&. K KRNKA. MAGAZINE FIRE ARM.

Patented July 24, 1888.

UNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SILVESTER KRNKA AND KARL KRNKA, OF OBER MIOHLE, NEAR PRAGUE,AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

MAGAZINE FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,638, dated July 24,1888.

Application filed November 10, 1887. Serial No. 254,802.

(No model.)

Patented in EngYand May 9, 1887, No. 6,800; in

Anstria'Hnngary August 21, 1887, No. 13,223 and No. 34,833, and October21, 1887, No. 27,598 and No 49,655; in France September 29, 1887, No.18li,12l; in Belgium September 29,1887,No. 79,0-14, and in ItalyNovember 12, 1887, XXI, 22,401, XLIV,188.

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SILVESTER KRNKA and KARL KRNKA, subj ects of theEmperor of Anstria, residing at Ober-Michle, near Prague, in

the Province of Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Fire- Arms,(for which wehave obtained Letters Patent in Austria-Hungary, dated August 21,

(Q 1887, No. 13,223/34,833, and by Letters Pat ent of the same country,dated October 21, 1887, No. 27,598/49,655; in England, dated May 9,1887, No. 6,800; in France, dated September 29, 1887, No. 186,121; inBelgium, I5 dated September 29, 1887, No. 79,0i4, and in Italy, datedNovember 12, 1887, Vol. XXI, No. 22,401,and Vol. XLIV, No. 188;) and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as 20 will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification. 2 Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section, partly in elevation, ofso much of a firearm as is necessary to illustrate our invention. Fig. 2is a top plan view of the breech portion thereof. Fig. 3 is a view 30similar to Fig. 1, thebutt being partly broken away, showing thereceiver open for the reception of a cartridge. Fig. t is a like view Ishowing the mechanism in position for firing.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal transverse section 35 showing the bolt-cylinderwithdrawn from the receiver and the tiring-pin or bolt cooked or readyfor firing. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the bolt-cylinder detached.Fig. 7 is a rear end elevation thereof. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal 0vertical section of the rear end of the bolt-cyl inder, showing thescrew-plug in elevation. Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 1 1 ofFig. 8. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8, the screw-plug being shownin section. Fig. 11 is 5 a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 10.Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the bolt or firing-pin. Fig. 13 is a rearend elevation of the handlesleeve. Fig. 1t is a top plan View of ourimproved magazine; Fig. 15, a side elevation, and Fig. 16 a sectionthereof taken on line 3 i 3 of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a front elevation ofthe receiver, the magazine being removed and the housing for the upperend thereof closed by a slide shown in section. Fig. 18 is a Verticaltransverse section of the receiver and 5 magazine, taken on or about onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 19 shows the slide or gate for the housingby a top plan view, a side elevation, and a transverse section,respectively. Fig. 20 is a rear elevation of the receiver, the mag- 6.azine being removed and the housing therefor closed by a gate, whichlatter is shown in section. Fig. 21 is a cross-section taken on or abouton the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 22 is a cross-section taken on the line6 6 of Fig. 23, 6 which latter shows in side elevation the breech-frameand receiver and the springsupports for the cartridges when the gun isused as a single-loader. Fig. 24 is a top plan view of saidspring-support detached,and Fig. 7| 25 shows by a longitudinal section aportion of the receiver and of the upper end of the spring-follower -forthe magazine provided with a projection extending into the receiver whenthe'magazine is empty.

This invention relates to that class of bolt and magazine guns which areadapted for use as single-loaders, and has forits object to perfect theloading and firing mechanism and provide suitable safeguards againstaccidental or 8 premature explosion of the cartridges, and also toimprove the construction of the magazine.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction of thebolt-cylinder and the mech 8 anism for manipulating or operating thesame in loading and firing; in the construction and combination ofsafety devices with the bolt-cylinder and bolt; in theconstruction ofacombined trigger-guard and mainspring; in the construction of thetrigger-guard and its combination with the magazine, whereby saidtriggerguard performs the functions of a lock to lockthe magazine in thehousing of the breech-frame for use with the receiver; in theconstruction 9 of the magazine and the cartridgefeeding devices and thecombination of the latter with the receiver; and,lastly, in certainother details of construction and combinations of parts, substantiallyas hereinafter fully described, and as set forth in the claims.

WVe will first describe the construction of the firing mechanism and themechanism for manipulating or positioning the same in loading andfiring.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4ofthe drawings, N indicates thegun-stock, of suitable construction to receive the barrel and breechmechanism. B indicates the barrel; E, the breech frame, and E thereceiver proper, which has two longitudinal openings or slotsdiametrically opposite each other, one, E through which the cartridgesare introduced from a magazine secured in a housing, E, formed by thebreech-frame, and one, E,

i through which the empty shells are ejected, and through which thecartridges are introduced when the gun is used as a single-loader, asshown in Figs. 1 to In the cylindrical bore of the receiver is fittedthe bolt-cylinder B, that contains the bolt or firing-pin D. The rearend I) of the bolt-cylinder is in outline polygonal in cross-section.(In the drawings we have shown it as octagonal, though it may have agreater or less number of faces, said faces being arranged spirallyrelatively to the axis of the cylinder.) On said rear end, I), of thebolt-cylinder B is mounted a sleeve, a, that is also polygonal inerosssection interiorly, the faces or sides corresponding as to theirspirality with the like faces of the cylinder.

It is obvious that when the sleeve a is moved in a rectilinear directioneither way a partial rotation will be imparted to the bolt-cylinder inone or the other direction on its axis. The sleeve is, to this end,provided with a handle, A, that projects therefrom laterally anddownwardly. Heretofore in all guns of this class the handle formanipulating the bolt-cylinder consisted of an arm projecting at rightangles or radially from the cylinder. It is obvious that in rapidfiring, however, where the gun is not brought from the position of aim,a straight handle or lever is not as conveniently manipulated. Tofacilitate the manipulation we form the handle portion A at right anglesto the handle-arm A, and so as to project downwardly in order to permita rectilinear push or pull, and to lighten the handle A we make ithollow, as more plainly shown in Figs. 13 and 20.

The bolt-cylinder B has at its rear end, 0, a helical slot, I), and isprovided, as usual, with a locking shoulder or projection, Z1 In alongitudinal recess formed in the outer face of the cylinder is fittedthe cartridgeextractor F, which consists of a flat bar, f, hooked at itsouter end to engage the rim of the cartridge and provided with a springarm, f, at its rear end. The bolt-cylinder is closed at its rear end bymeans of a hollow screw-plug, O. in which is also formed a helical slot,0, provided with a radial or lateral branch, 0, and with a saesethumb-piece, 0 that projects from the head thereof in such a manner asto cover or nearly cover the axial opening in said head-of the screw, toprotect the marksman from gases that may escape along the firing-pin orbolt D. As shown in Figs. 4 and 10, a pin or lug, 0, projects into theaxial opening in the head of the screw-plug and engages a right'angulargroove, (2 at the rear end of the'bolt D, Fig. 12, said bolt being alsorecessed at that end, as shown at d, and carries a socket, d, thatserves as a housing for the actuating'spring d.

When the bolt is properly placed in its boltcylinder B and the latter inthe receiver portion of the breech frame, with the sliding handle a onits rear end, the pin a in the sleeve of said handle projects throughthe radial slot 1) of the bolt-cylinder into the corresponding slot, 0,of the screw-plug and into the recessed portion d of the bolt D, saidpin. when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, lying in theforward end of the slots and recess re ferred to, the lockingblock I)being then engaged in the usual recess, e, of the breech-frame to lockthe bolt-cylinder in position for firing, as shown in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that by pulling on the handle A in a straight line thesleeve or nut a will impart to the bolt-cylinder a partial revolutionfrom right to left, thereby disengaging the block b from recess 6 andunlocking the boltcylinder. This partial revolution of the boltcylinderis, however, not communicated to the bolt D, for the reason that theupper ilat face of the pin a bears upon the corresponding face of therecess (1 in the bolt, and thus prevents the latter from partaking ofsuch motion.

G is the trigger, and g the sear, the upper end of which latter projectsthrough a longitudinal slot, 1/, formed in the bolt-cylinder, which slotat its rear end has a lateral branch. so as to permit the necessaryrevolving and longitudinal motion of the bolt-cylinder.

On moving the bolt-cylinder back, as described, the pin a of the slidingsleeve or nut a carries the bolt D along, and the rear end of the springd, coming against the end of the screw-plug (twill be compressed, thebolt being cooked or ready for firing. WVhen the boltcylinder hasreached the limit of its rearward motion, the spring-arm F of theejector F springs out of its groove in front of the sliding nut a, asshown in Fig. 5, to prevent the forward motion of the bolt-cylinder,thus keeping the bolt -spring d compressed. \Vhen the breech-cylinder ispushed forward and has reached a point Where the spring-arm F fullyenters its recess or groove in the bolt-cylinder, the forward end of thehousing (1 for the actuating-spring d will be in a position to beengaged by the sear 9, thus maintaining the said spring compressed.

To prevent the accidental discharge of the gun, the screw-plug G isslightly turned by means of the handle 0 to bring the lug or pin 0 intothe lateral branch of the groove d in the rear end of the bolt D, thuslocking the ITO latter against forward motion. To admit of this partialrevolution of the screw-plug, the slot 0 thereof has the lateral branch0, Fig. 8, above referred to.

It will readily be seen that by means of the described arrangement ofthe pin a and the slots b and 0 in the bolt-cylinder and screwplug thelocking and unlocking of the boltcylinder may be effected by means ofthe handle A, in the usual manner, and the peculiar construction of therear end of the said cylinder and the handlesleeve for imparting suchpartial rotation to said cylinder may be dispensed with. Of course inthis case the pin a will have to be made sufficiently strong.

In a gun constructed as described the explosion of the cartridge cannottake place until the bolt-cylinder is fully locked to thebrecch-fran'ie, for the reason that the pin a has not then reached theend of the helical slots 1) c in the bolt-cylinder and plug.Consequently, should the trigger be manipulated, the spring (1 wouldalso have to carry said pin to the end of its slot, besides projectingthe bolt, or, in other words, complete the rotation of the bolt-cylinderto fully lock it to the breech-frame. It follows that if the bolt ismoved at all it is moved but very slowly and gradually in contact withthe cartridge.

1 is the trigger-guard, which, to simplify the gnnlock, is combined withthe triggerspring g. At its rear end the guard is secured to the lowertang by means of a screw, N, that also secures the upper tang to thestock N. At its forward end the guard may also be secured to the tang bya screw when the gun is constructed for use as a single loader. When,however, the gun is constructed for use both as a single-loader and arepeater, then the forward end of the guard I has a hooked bearing, i,that passes through a slot in and hooks upon the tang, as more plainlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and on the said bearing is formed a second hook,i, that engages a notch, h", formed in a lip or projection at one end ofthe magazine H, to support the same in the housing E2 Within the housingE* is arranged a support for the cartridges when the gun is used as asingle-loader. This support consists of two metallic springplates, J J,Figs. 22, 23, and 24, secured to asupporting-plate, j, provided with aspring-arm,j, that lies in a recess or chamber formed in the stock N,said supporting-plate being secured to the breech-frame by a screw, jThe spring-arm j supports the gnideblock K, that guides the cartridgefrom the receiver into the breech of the barrel B, as more plainly shownin Figs. 1 and 3.

The spring-plates J, when a magazine is in serted into the housing E,are pushed laterally against the side walls of said housing, and thenperlorm the functions of a clamp and assist in holding the magazineinposition, and they act as an ejector for the magazine as soon as it isreleased lrom the trigger-guard, as will be readily understood.

When the gun is used as asingle-loader,the open lower end of the housingis closed by a sliding gate, M, Figs. 17, 20, and 22, the edges of whichare bent inwardly, so as to form a groove that fits upon a rib, 6',formed on the lateral walls of the housing E of the breechframe. Thestock N of the gun in front of the housing has two grooved bars, n,secured, as shown in Fig. 21, in its cheeks, into which fit the bentedges of the slide or gate M.

The magazine H consists of a rectangular casing of the form incross-section substantially as shown in Fig. 16. The diameter of thecasing is slightly less than twice the diameter of the cartridges andtheir rims, so that two tiers of cartridges can be inserted and closelypacked, the cartridges of one tier lying tangentially between thecartridges of the other tier, as shown in Figs. 16 and 18. This admitsof the feeding of the cartridges to the receiver alternately from bothtiers through the medium of the spring h.

The magazine has open-work sides, and is preferably made of thin sheetmetal to make it as light as possible, and in order to give the lateralwalls greater strength we form corrugations h h If in the metal, thusproviding strengthening-ribs, those If projecting outwardly, while thoseh project inwardly and serve to guide the'cartridges, thereby reducingthe frictional resistance to the motion of the cartridges to a minimum.As stated hereinbefore, the magazine is supported from the trigger-guardand by the spring-plates J at the rear and forward end, respectively,and when empty may be readily withdrawn by simply pressing back thetrigger-guard,which may be made sufficiently elastic for the purpose todisengage thehook z" from the notch h. The lateral walls of the magazinefor a portion of their length are bent inwardly to form spring-jaws,thatprevent the cartridges being ejected from the magazine by the spring h.The upper cartridge,when lying between the spring-jaws It, will be in aposition in which its rim will project into the pathof the boltcylinderB, so that when the latter is moved forward it will remove the cartridgeforcibly from between the jaws h and carry it along into the breech.

A great inconvenience in repeaters of this class, especially when usedfor military purposes, is encountered by the lack of means forascertaining when the magazine is empty,and in rapid, file, platoon, orgeneral firing the soldier is hardly able to tell whether his magazineis empty or not. This we avoid by forming on the spring h, that feedsthe cartridges, or on the follower or cartridge-spoon h ,aprojectionorheel, h, at that end nearest the rear end of the receiver. WVhen themagazine is empty, this heel h projects into the receiver when thebolt-cylinder is drawn back, and the latter can, therefore, not bepushed forward, thus indicating to the marksman that the magazine isempty.

ICO

Inasmuch as we have hereinbefore fully described the operation of theseveral parts of the gun, it will not be necessary to repeat the same,as this will be readily understood by those conversant with this classof fire-arms.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gun of the class described, the combination, with thebreech-frame and the bolt cylinder having spiral bearing-faces at itsrear end, of an operating handle or lever and a sleeve or nut connectedtherewith, having corresponding bearing-faces and adapted to slidefreely on the rear end ofthe bolt cylinder, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. In a gun of the class described, the combination, with thebreech-frame, the bolt-cylinder provided with a spiral slot at its rearend, and the bolt or firing-pin provided with a longitudinal recess atthe rear end thereof, of a lever or handle provided with a sleevebearing mounted and Sliding longitudinally on the rear end of thebolt-cylinder, and a pin pro- -jecting from said bearing through thespiral slot of said cylinder into the recess of the fir ing-pin,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a gun of the class described, the combination,with thebreech-frame, the bolt-cylinder provided at its rear end with a spiralslot and a springabntmcnt, the bolt or firing-pin provided at thecorresponding end with a lougitudinal recess, and an actuating-springconnected at the forward end with the bolt, of a lever or handleprovided with a sleeve-bearing mounted and sliding longitudinally on therear end of the cylinder, and a pin projecting through the spiral slotof said cylinder into the recess of the bolt, whereby the spring iscompressed on moving the bolt rearward,substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

4. In a gun of the class described, the combination, withthebreech-frame, thebolt-eylinder provided at its rear end with a spiralslot and a spring-abutment, the bolt or firingpin provided at thecorresponding end with a longitudinal recess, and an actuating-springconnected at its forward end with the bolt, of a lever or handleprovided with a sleeve-bean ing mounted and sliding longitudinally onthe rear end of said cylinder, a pin projecting through the spiral slotin the cylinderinto the recess of the bolt, and a locking device to lockthe spring against expansion, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. In a gun of the class described, the combination, with thebreech-frame, the bolt-cylindcr provided at its rear end with aspiralslot and a spring abutment, the bolt or firing-pin provided at thecorresponding end with a longitudinal recess, and an actualingspringconnected at its forward end with the bolt, of a lever or handleprovided with a sleeve-bearing mounted and sliding longitudinally on therear end of the cylinder, a pin projecting through the spiral slot ofsaid cylinder into the recess of the bolt, and a stop operating on thesleeve-bearing to hold it against forward movement on the cylinder,whereby the spring is compressed on moving the bolt rearward and lockedagainst expansion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore described, with thebreech-frame, the bolt-cylinder B, provided at its rear end with aspiral groove, Z), and an interior abutment, the shell-extractor fittedin a groove in the periphery of the cylinder,and having aspringextensiomf, the bolt or firingpin, recessed as at d, arrangedwithin the cylinder, and an actuatingspring connected at its forward endwith said bolt, of a lever or handle, a bearing-sleeve therefor adaptedto slide longitudinally on the bolt-cylinder, and a pin, a, projectingfrom said sleeve through the slot 1) in the cylinder and into the recess(1 of the belt, for the purposes specified.

7. The combination. substantially as herein described, with the breech-frame, the boltcylinder and its screw plug C, both provided with aspiral groove, 7) a, respectively, the latter groove having a lateralbranch, 0 a lug, a, projecting into the opening at the rear end of theplug 0, the bolt or firing-pin, recessed as at d, and provided at itsrear end with an angular groove or slot, (1 the actuat' iug'springsecured at its forward end to the bolt, and abutting, when compressed,against the abutment in the cylinder, of the trigger and sear, thelatter projecting into the receiver and adapted to engage the forwardend of the spring, whereby the bolt may be locked against forward motionby a partial rotation of the screwplug, for the purpose specified.

8. In a gun of the class described, the combination, with thebreech-frame open below the receiver, and a magazine adapted to beapplied to the frame below said receiver, and provided with a notchedprojection on its rear Wall,0f a trigger-guard having a yielding bearing adapted to engage the notch in the magazine projection to supportthe same at that end, substantially as described.

9. In a gun of the class described, the com bination, with thebreech-frame open below the receiver, and a magazine adapted to beapplied to the frame below said receiver, and provided with a notchedprojection, ofa trigger-guard and trigger-spring combined, and a bearingon said trigger-guard to engage the notched magazine projection, wherebysaid parts are held in engagement by the stress of the trigger'spring,substantially as described.

10. In a gun of the class described, the combination, with thebreech-frame open below the receiver,for the attachment of a magazine,and the block K, for guiding the cartridges to the breech, of the springarm j, provided with a spring, j, operating on the block, and

, two converging spring-plates operating to support the cartridges whenthe magazine is re- IIO moved and the gun used as a single-loader, Intestimony whereof we affix our signatures substantially as described. inpresence of two witnesses 11. The con1binati0n,with the breech-frameopen below the receiver, the b0lt-cylinder,and SILVESTER KRNKA. amagazine applied below said receiver, of an 1 KARL KRNKA.upwardly-extending stop, h, secured to one end of the spring-actuatedfollower, for feed- Witnesses: ing the cartridges to the mouth of themaga- ADOLF FISCHER, zine, substantially as and for the purpose speci-ANDREW SToHLL.

